The Sony hacking scandal has been a butchered subject in the news as of late, but something terrific has come from it. After Sony pulled The Interview because of cyber threats seemingly linked with North Korea, movie fans were reminded of a certain 2004 comedy which had a similar plot including war against a North Korean dictator. Team America: World Police has been attracting some extra attention these past few days, so much so that it completely sold out on Amazon.
The renewed publicity on the film comes just in time for its 10th anniversary. When Sony yanked The Interview out of theaters, even though they claim that it was only because theaters would not show the film in response to cyber threats, a few theaters came up with the perfect response. Texas-based theater, Alamo Drafthouse, among many others decided to hold a 10th anniversary Team America viewing party in its place, pretty much as a big middle finger to the cyber threats claimed to be North Korean terrorists.
As a reminder, Team America: World Police, told with puppets, follows a hilarious American anti-terrorist force who will take down entire cities just to complete their anti-terrorist world mission. The main villain, the North Korean dictator Kim Jong-il is intent world destruction, and Team America is out to defeat him using some strange skill sets. It’s a hilarious parody, that took major stabs at what anti-terrorism really means, and the ridiculous nature of the North Korean dictator at the time.
Since, the new comedy The Interview had a plot line including the assassination of current North Korean Dictator, Kim Jong-un, Team America: World Police was a perfect replacement. But, Paramount Pictures did not want to become involved and risk any cyber terrorism, so they would not offer the movie to be shown in those theaters.
Leave it to America, though, who puts the "F" back in Freedom, to give a big middle finger to all the studios and go straight to Amazon and buy it ourselves. Granted, they are probably seeing some profit from the skyrocket sales online, but not nearly as much so as theaters potentially could have. According to The Daily Caller, Team America: World Police is now the 5th best selling comedy on Amazon, and the 53rd best-selling DVD. A few days ago it was ranked 1,389th. So as the movie says ever so delicately, "America, F*** Yeah".
